Is overthinking a mental health condition?

Overthinking isn't a diagnosis on its own, but it's closely connected to anxiety, depression, and other conditions that are worth taking seriously. It's also something that can be worked on directly, regardless of whether it meets a clinical threshold.

Why can't I just stop overthinking?

Because telling yourself to stop rarely works. Overthinking is usually serving a purpose, like managing uncertainty, processing unresolved feelings, or protecting you from something. The goal isn't to force it to stop. It's to understand what's driving it.

Can therapy actually help with overthinking?

It can. Therapy focused on overthinking looks at the patterns and beliefs underneath the loop, not just the thoughts themselves. That's where most of the traction comes from.

How do I know if my overthinking is serious enough to get help?

If it's affecting your sleep, your decisions, your relationships, or how you see yourself, it's worth looking at. You don't need to be in crisis for it to be relevant.

Is this the same as anxiety?

They often overlap. Overthinking is a common feature of anxiety, but it also shows up on its own or alongside other experiences like depression or low self-worth. The work addresses the pattern regardless of what's driving it.

How long does it take to see a shift?

That varies depending on the person and what's underneath the pattern. Some people notice a shift relatively quickly. For others it takes longer. The intro call is a good place to get a clearer sense of what the work might involve for you specifically.

How do I know if this is the right fit?

If the pattern is affecting your daily life and you want to understand it better, that's a reasonable place to start. The free intro call is the most straightforward way to find out if this approach makes sense for you.

Chronic Overthinking · Vancouver, BC

Your mind works hard. The problem is it won't stop.

Individual counselling for people whose thinking has become the thing getting in the way.

In-person (Vancouver, BC) and virtual across BC.

Book a Free Intro Call How it works

Woman with her eyes closed, trying to quiet her mind

In-person in Downtown Vancouver and online across BC

Registered Clinical Counsellor

Psychology Today Verified

Free 20-minute virtual intro call

Your mind doesn't switch off. You replay conversations, second-guess decisions, and run through scenarios that may never happen. It's exhausting, and it's not staying in your head. It shows up in how long simple decisions take, in relationships that are taking strain, in work that's slowing down. Left long enough, that pattern contributes to anxiety, depression, and a growing sense that something might be wrong with you.

The thinking isn't the problem on its own. What it's doing to your life is.

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HOW WE WORK

The Iroko Approach

How we work together in therapy.

Understand, What is happening?

We begin with your experiences, concerns and what you would like to be different. We take time to understand you, your circumstances, and how the difficulty is affecting your life.

Connect, What is contributing?

Together, we explore the emotions, beliefs, experiences and behaviours that may be contributing to the problem. Often, this reveals connections you had not fully recognized.

Work Through, What needs attention?

Understanding is important, but it is not always enough. Using evidence informed clinical approaches, we work with what is contributing to your difficulties, whether that means processing painful experiences, addressing emotional patterns, challenging beliefs or developing new skills.

Apply, What can change in real life?

Where appropriate, we bring what you are learning into everyday life. We reflect on what happens, recognize progress, work through setbacks and adjust our approach as you develop new ways of responding.

Every person's experience is different. These stages guide our work rather than prescribe a fixed treatment schedule.

Some of this might sound familiar

If any of this resonates, you're in the right place.

You can spend more time thinking about a decision than it would take to just make it, and still not feel ready.

A conversation ends but you stay in it. Replaying it, adjusting it, wondering what the other person actually meant.

You know what needs to happen. The thinking just keeps going in circles and nothing moves forward.

You're present on the outside. Inside, your mind is already somewhere else.

Nights are when it gets louder. The day slows down but the thinking doesn't.

It's starting to affect your focus, your patience, how you feel about yourself.

If any of that sounds like your experience, the pattern is usually running deeper than the specific relationship or situation it shows up in.

You, inside your thinking

Most of what drives chronic overthinking sits underneath the thoughts themselves — in how you process difficult emotions, what you believe about yourself and others, and the experiences your mind keeps returning to. Understanding that gives you more room to move. Here are some of the ways we look at that.

What the loop is connected to

Overthinking is rarely just about the thought itself. It's usually connected to something underneath, a fear, an unresolved feeling, a belief about yourself or how others see you. We look at what's actually feeding it.

How you relate to difficult emotions

Sometimes the thinking is a way of managing something that feels too uncomfortable to sit with directly. This work looks at that relationship — what the mind is trying to do, and whether there's more capacity to handle it than the loop is suggesting.

The physical side of it

Overthinking has a bodily experience alongside it. Tension, restlessness, difficulty settling can be part of it. This work pays attention to that connection and what it can tell us about what's happening underneath.

Questions you might have

FIRST STEPS

Getting Started

New to counselling? Here is how it works.

Book a Free Virtual Intro Call

Start with a free 20-minute video call. Tell us a little about what is bringing you to counselling, ask questions, and get a sense of whether we are a good fit.

Your First Session

We will take time to understand what is happening in your life, what you would like help with, and what you hope to get from counselling. There is no pressure to have everything figured out before you arrive.

We Begin the Work

Together, we will establish what to focus on and how to approach it. Sessions are tailored to your needs, and we will regularly check in on your progress and adjust as needed.

Book a Free Intro Call

START HERE

When you're ready, the first step is a free 20-minute conversation.

It's a chance to talk through what's been coming up for you and get a sense of how I work. No commitment required.

First session is 80 minutes. Ongoing sessions are 50 minutes. Prices are $170 for 50 minutes and $230 for 80 minutes. Sessions are covered by many extended health plans that include a Registered Clinical Counsellor. Start with a free 20-minute virtual intro call.